Newsroom

Pulaski Tech board looks at Little Rock building for instructional site
1/28/2004

The Pulaski Technical College Board of Trustees has empowered its finance committee to begin negotiations to lease property in Little Rock to establish an additional instructional site. College officials have expressed interest in a three-story building located at 8901 Kanis Road. Previously, the building housed Southeast College of Technology.

Dr. Dan F. Bakke, college president, said a Little Rock location would greatly assist the college in meeting the needs of its service area, which includes all of Pulaski, Saline, Lonoke and Faulkner counties.

"Accessibility is an important part of the mission of a comprehensive two-year college," Bakke said. "Right now, the classrooms and labs at our North Little Rock location are filled to capacity. An additional site will enable us to meet the growing demand for our course offerings. We are excited about the opportunities we have to grow in response to the needs of the community."

With an unofficial enrollment 6,791 for the spring 2004 semester, Pulaski Tech has grown by more than 1,000 students since the spring semester of last year. Last year, the college opened the Saline County Career Center instructional site in Bauxite. The college also operates the Pulaski Tech Maumelle Education Center on the Academics Plus Charter School campus, the Pulaski Tech Aviation Technology Center at the North Little Rock Airport, the Saline County Adult Education Center at Benton and the Pulaski Tech Business and Industry Center at the Aerospace Education Center/IMAX Theater in Little Rock.

Initial plans are to offer classes in the areas of general education, business and information technology at the Little Rock site, Bakke said, stressing that the Little Rock location will not be a full-service campus but an instructional site.

A letter of notification has been sent to the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board for review at its Feb. 6 meeting.